494 



NATURE 



{Sept. 19, 1889 



but railways are very important factors as regards the commerce 

 and trade of the world, and by the facilities they afford they 

 largely increase the power of exploration. 



The southern portion of South America has been described 

 by those who have visited and explored its savannahs and 

 prairie-lands as possessing one of the richest grazing-lands of 

 the world, and its development is only a question of time. In 

 its present condition it offers a very interesting field of research 

 to the explorer. 



Time does not permit us to dwell long on the islands of the 

 Pacific. Recent events concerning Samoa are fresh in your 

 memories ; and while some of these islands have developed com- 

 mercially, it is when they lie in the great ocean tracks of the 

 world that their real importance is manifested. Take for example 

 the island of St. Vincent, of the Cape Verde Group. It is nothing 

 but a barren rock, without any produce whatever ; all its water 

 has to be brought from a neighbouring island ; yet it pays a large 

 revenue to the Portuguese Government sirrply from coal dues, 

 for it has a good harbour and lies directly in the line between 

 Great Britain and the principal ports of South America; it has 

 therefore become a most impirtant coaling-station. 



From the isles of the Pacific it is but a step to Australia, with 

 its six great colonies of Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, 

 South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania, to which 

 may be added New Zealand. Virgin fields untrodden by the 

 foot of the white man are still awaiting the explorer to yi' Id up 

 their treasures to the science of applied geography ; and when 

 the marvellous progress that has been made in a few short years 

 by our Australian colonies is weighed and considered, and as 

 its vast interior is opened by exploration, and its mineral re- 

 sources are developed, who could venture to predict the future 

 that lies before it ? 



There are now nearly 11,000 miles of railway in operation, 

 and many more miles are in course of construction throughout 

 these various colonies — a sure and certain indication of their 

 energy, wealth, material prosperity, and progress. Geographic- 

 ally speaking, some are not without their troubles. Take 

 Queensland for instance. Her territory runs north and south 

 for nearly 1500 miles, and lies both in the temperate and tropic 

 zones. The Governments who during past years have adminis- 

 tered her affairs have experienced some difficulties whilst en- 

 deavouring to reconcile the conflicting interests which arise out 

 of her geographical position. 



Laws relating to labour and capital in a temperate zone are 

 not always in conformity with the industries and requirements of 

 a tropical temperature, in which the white man is obliged 

 to employ labour suitable to the climate. Hence we find a 

 numerous section of the inhabitants of the northern part of this 

 colony agitating in favour of separation. Australia has large 

 coal measures, and abounds in precious metals as yet hardly 

 developed. 



Attached to Australia are the great and lesser islands forming 

 the Australasian archipelago. The most important of these is 

 New Guinea, and quite recently a successful exploration of its 

 highest mountain range has been accomplished by the present 

 administrator, Mr. Macgregor, who reached an elevation of 

 about 14,000 feet. A very interesting paper was read before 

 the Royal Geographical Society by Mr. Paul Thomson concern- 

 ing the D'Entrecasteaux and Louisiade Groups, adjacent to New 

 Guinea ; and though many of these islands and their inhabitants 

 are quite new to us, still the knowledge we gain from a study of 

 their geographical position maybe turned to practical uses by the 

 merchant adventurer. 



Last but not least in this record of geographical progress of 

 the world is the vast continent of Africa. 



As General Strachey, late President of the Royal Geographical 

 Society, in his address of this year, remarks : — 



"The reflection can hardly be avoided that, great as has been 

 the advance of exploration in Africa during the last twenty or 

 thirty years, the interest of geographers will, in the immediate 

 future, be more and more centred in that continent. Excluding 

 the polar regions, there is no considerable portion of the earth's 

 surface, unless it is in Africa, the essential outlines of which have 

 not been delineated." 



These words are, I think, absolutely true. Whether we 

 consider Africa in regard to the extraordinary explorations 

 and developments since the commencement of the work of 

 David Livingstone ; or from the fact that vast areas of its 

 tropical portion remain untouched as yet by exploration, and 

 are therefore unknown ; or from a contemplation of the teem- 



ing millions of its inhabitants, of which the larger portion have 

 never seen a white man ; or from the uncompleted work of the late 

 General Gordon, and the re-establishment of the power of a civil- 

 ized Government over the whole of the Nile basin ; or from the 

 slavery question, in which our nation has taken the most active and 

 leading part ; or from the spectacle of a white man, Emin Pasha, 

 estat)lishing a settled form of government in the heart of the 

 continent, between the two great slave-dealing communities of 

 the Bahr-el-Gha?al and that of the Upper Congo and Lake 

 Tanganyika ; or from the expedition sent to convey to him the 

 succour he so much needs, under the leadership of Mr. H. M. 

 Stanley ; or from the intense interest recently exhibited by the 

 nations of Europe in portioning out Africa between each other — 

 an interest that has led on the west coast to the establishment of 

 the Congo Free State, and the German protectorate in the 

 Cameroons, France and Portugal adding largely to the pos- 

 sessions they already hold, and England contenting herself with 

 strengthening her grip upon the Niger, and on the east coast by 

 the formation of the I3riiish and German spheres of influence ; or 

 to the colonies which Great Britain possesses in the southern 

 extremity of this great continent ; or to the struggle which 

 sooner or later must be fought out between Christianity and 

 Mohammedanism as regards the native races of Central Africa, 

 in which the River Congo will play an important part : I say when 

 we consider all these and the many other problems of this 

 continent, the vast interests they represent, and the varied 

 influences they may yet exert on the future history of this earth, 

 as v\ ell as the extraordinary part which Great Britain has been 

 permitted to play in lifting the veil of mystery and doubt which 

 up to our own times enveloped these regions, we are forced to 

 acknowledge that the country in which the civilized world lakes 

 the most active and absorbing interest is Africa, and that the 

 Dark Continent still maintains its supremacy. 



As regards Africa two very remarkable journeys have recently 

 been brought to a successful conclusion — that of Count Teleki, 

 an Austrian, on the north, and that of Mr. Arnot in the regions 

 south of the equator. 



The former, entering Africa at Mombasa, at the head of a 

 numerous and well equipped carava", passed through the Masai 

 country by what is known as Thompson's route, and, pushing 

 northwards, discovered Lake Rudolph, a large inland salt lake, 

 and by following its shores he was enabled to trace with commend- 

 able accuracy its shape, size, and position. 1 he existence of a 

 large lake, called Samburu, in the direction of Count Teleki's 

 journey, had for some time been spoken of by the Arabs who 

 traded in that region, but nothing definite was known concerning 

 it. Count Teleki also obtained much valuable information of 

 the region between Mount Kenia and Lake Rudolph, its inhabi- 

 tants, its rivers, and its products; and the details of his most 

 interesting and successful journey have yet to be published. 



Mr. Arnot, on the other hand, started in 1883 from Pieter- 

 maritzburg with a very slender equipment and hardly any 

 following. His object was to prove the existence of healthy 

 plateaus in the interior of Africa, where white men could live 

 and prosecute the work of missionary civilization without being 

 exposed to the malarial influences which exist iti so many parts 

 of Central Africa. 



Taking a northerly course, he reaches the Zambesi, whose 

 waters he follows as far as Lealui. From this point his route 

 trends to the west as far as Robongo, the capital of the Bihe 

 country. From Robongo he continues his march to Bailundu, 

 and from thence he reaches Benguela, on the west coast. Thus 

 he crossed Africa in the same direction as Livingstone's first 

 journey, though somewhat to the south of Livingstone's route. 

 While at Bailundu he meets some mes-engers from Msidi, the 

 chief of the Garangenze countiy, who beseech him to visit their 

 king ; and having replenished his stores, he retraces his steps to 

 the interior. 



From January 1885 to February 1S86 he perseveres in his 

 attempt to reach the capital of Msidi's country, and his efforts 

 are at length crowned with success. After a sojourn among 

 these peo| le for two years, during which time he thoroughly 

 succeeded in obtaining their confidence and that of their ruler 

 Msidi, he returned to Europe in the latter part of last year, but 

 not before he had established two other white missionaries at 

 Mukururu to continue the work he had begun. 



He also made several small expeditions during his residence 

 at Mukururu, the most interesting of which was to the cave- 

 dwellers of Urua, mentioned by Livingstone. This kingdom of 

 Garangenze is situated to the east of Lake Moero ; and Mr. 



